After that brief incident, the atmosphere at the scene grew somewhat awkward.
Xu Zihuang still looked composed, leaning back against a rock. Casually, he tossed the remaining Black-Scaled Chicken meat, bones and all, into the bonfire. Ignoring everyone else, he closed his eyes to rest.
At the same time, he extended his spiritual power outward, constantly on guard against his surroundings.
Though as a Contra-level powerhouse Nan Shuishui might not perceive the exact method of his spiritual release, she could definitely sense the unique fluctuations of his spirit power.
This alone created an invisible deterrent effect.
Watching Xu Zihuang's every move, the youths of the Earth Dragon Gate across from him twitched their brows repeatedly.
But none dared to provoke him like Xu Shenshu had earlier. Instead, they all showed wary expressions.
Even Xu Shenshu himself had calmed down a lot. Born into a great sect of soul masters, he had always held himself high—but that didn't mean he couldn't recognize reality.
He had lost. Not only in strength, but also in spirit.
And the greatest blow was that Xu Zihuang looked two or three years younger than him.
"Heh heh, Zihuang. Looks like that move of yours earlier really scared them stiff. These kids are talented enough, but too stubborn to have chosen the wrong person to compare with. Someone I, the great Tianmeng, take a liking to could never be an ordinary person." In Xu Zihuang's spiritual sea, the Skydream Iceworm chuckled nastily, finishing with a bit of self-praise.
"But that girl named Nan Qiuqiu, her martial soul is kind of interesting. Rouge Dragon, with annihilation attribute. I see she pays quite a bit of attention to you—and she's pretty too. So? Zihuang, interested in developing things with her?"
Its lecherous nature was plain to see.
Xu Zihuang's eyelids lifted slightly, and just happened to meet Nan Qiuqiu's curious gaze. At once he closed his eyes again, unchanged, and shifted the topic.
"Tianmeng, in your current bodiless state, if you encountered a piece of Ten-thousand-year Profound Ice Marrow, could you refine it into pure energy to feed back to me?"
"Hm?" The Skydream Iceworm hadn't expected such a question. After a brief pause, it answered proudly, "I still retain the origin of the ice attribute. Not to mention one piece—even a hundred pieces, I could refine them all with ease. As for feeding it back to you, well, some energy would be wasted. After all, the Ten-thousand-year Profound Ice Marrow is best suited for ice-attributed beasts and soul masters."
"A pity your second martial soul bears both Destruction and Ultimate Thunder attributes—such tyrannical powers will inevitably place heavy burdens on your body in the future. Otherwise, I could even grant you another ice martial soul, making you the first in soul master history to possess three martial souls."
That was enough.
Xu Zihuang gave a subtle nod. Since that was the case, the Ten-thousand-year Profound Ice Marrow within the Earth Dragon Gate couldn't be missed.
As for gaining another ice martial soul, he didn't care much.
His talent was already at the peak. Another martial soul would be unnecessary excess.
He continued his mental exchange with the Skydream Iceworm. Because of the untrustworthy Contra Nan Shuishui nearby, the Iceworm—breaking its usual habit—didn't sleep but chatted with Xu Zihuang until dawn.
Their relationship had eased much over the past year, and such conversations quietly nurtured trust between them.
Of course, most of the time it was the Skydream boasting of its so-called glorious past, while Xu Zihuang simply listened.
By now, the bonfire had burned out, leaving only faint sparks to ward off the morning chill.
The distant horizon turned pale, yet the depths of the Sunset Forest ahead remained shrouded in dense white mist—mysterious and silent.
It looked nothing like a wild soul beast habitat where countless beasts lived.
Aside from Xiao Ye, who had just detoxified the Jade Phosphor Seven-Despair Flower and was still weak, Nan Qiuqiu and the others had also gone without sleep through the night.
Some had kept watch, others had cared for Xiao Ye.
The flower's poison was even more terrifying than they had imagined. Without Nan Shuishui's personal intervention, they might not even have noticed that the venom had already infiltrated Xiao Ye's body.
Though it was later neutralized, his body still suffered some damage.
Fortunately, with good rest, he would recover in time.
Nan Shuishui frowned at the still-unconscious Xiao Ye, then solemnly told Nan Qiuqiu and the others:
"Xiao Ye needs proper rest for some time. For now, we'll return to the sect. Later, I'll bring you to the Star Dou Great Forest with the elders to hunt for soul rings."
She had thought this decision through carefully. The quality of soul beasts in the Sunset Forest had declined too severely in recent years. And since the Earth Dragon Gate's martial souls were all earth-dragon types, their options in soul beasts were restricted.
The Star Dou Great Forest was the only suitable place.
"Yes, Sect Master." The group answered respectfully. Even Nan Qiuqiu refrained from her usual habit of calling her mother "Mom."
She was spoiled, but she knew the occasion.
After giving instructions, Nan Shuishui took out a jade token carved with dragon patterns from her soul tool and handed it to Xu Zihuang, who had been observing quietly.
"Young man, this is the token of the Earth Dragon Gate's Sect Master. If you ever need, you may come directly to Dragon City in the northern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire to find me."
Nan Shuishui smiled warmly, her attitude very friendly.
She nodded to Xu Zihuang, then led Nan Qiuqiu and the others away.
Before leaving, Nan Qiuqiu couldn't resist glancing back at the jade token in Xu Zihuang's hand. But faced with Nan Shuishui's stern look, she swallowed her questions.
Even when Xu Zihuang's figure was no longer visible, she finally asked her mother in confusion:
"Mom, why did you give him the Sect Master's token?"
Nan Shuishui cast her daughter a cool look and countered,
"Would you have me, as Sect Master, break my promise?"
"But you didn't have to give him the Sect Master's token! That token symbolizes the authority of our Earth Dragon Gate's master!" Nan Qiuqiu nearly cried out. If all went as expected, that token would one day pass to her.
A faint smile touched Nan Shuishui's beautiful face as she swept her gaze across the group.
"Do you all think the same?"
Xu Shenshu scratched his head in shame. It was his rashness that had led to this.
Feng Shen and the others exchanged looks, while only Xiao Ye's eyes showed thoughtful light.
Though none spoke, their silence admitted it.
Nan Shuishui's smile faded.
"You all should know, our Earth Dragon Gate possesses a mysterious secret art, passed down from the first Sect Master a thousand years ago. On the surface it is said to read character through physiognomy."
They all nodded.
"But in truth," she continued, "the art's true essence is to read destiny. Mark my words—this child's future will be extraordinary. Giving him the token was my way of forging good ties with him. You all saw his talent last night. He's younger than you, yet his soul power is no less."
In fact, her words were understated.
What she had glimpsed through the art was only the tip of the iceberg, yet she was sure Xu Zihuang's future achievements would even surpass her daughter's.
She softened her phrasing only to avoid crushing their spirits.
"But you can't just give it away! If he never returns it, when I inherit as Sect Master it won't be rightful!" Nan Qiuqiu protested.
Nan Shuishui snorted. "What, then? Should I give you instead of the token? And that's only if he'd accept you."
"How do you know he wouldn't?"
"Listen to her! Is this something a mother should say? Making her daughter sound worthless."
"Feng Shen, tell me—what do you think of me?"
"Uh—ah—um—" Feng Shen blushed furiously, unable to form words.
Nan Qiuqiu glared at him, then turned to Xiao Ye, the most handsome among them. His face was still pale from the lingering effects of the poison.
"Xiao Ye, you say it."
Nan Shuishui rapped her daughter's head sharply.
"Enough. Stop bothering Xiao Ye. Let's move. We'll rest one night in Heaven Dou City, then return to the sect tomorrow."
Nan Qiuqiu stuck out her tongue but didn't dare defy her mother.
After a while on the road, she suddenly asked curiously:
"Mom, didn't you say you could read a person's character from their face? What about him—what's his character?"
Nan Shuishui's gaze grew deep.
"His heart is like Ten-thousand-year Profound Ice."
Then she added:
"You needn't think about it. You will never be able to change him."
Nan Qiuqiu: "…"
Elsewhere, unaware of all this, Xu Zihuang examined the dragon-carved jade in his hand.
It was blood-red, warm to the touch. Injecting soul power into it released a blazing red light, the heat directly seeping into his soul power.
Yet instead of harming him, the heat quietly tempered and refined his already exceptionally pure soul power.
"This jade really is Blazing Sun Warm Jade? For such an obscure sect to possess a treasure of this level?" The Skydream Iceworm's voice was filled with disbelief.
Xu Zihuang frowned slightly. Even with his former status and knowledge, he had never heard of it.
"Blazing Sun Warm Jade?"
"It's a treasure on the same level as Ten-thousand-year Profound Ice Marrow. In fact, its formation conditions are even harsher. That it's unknown among humans is no surprise. Its sole function is exactly what you just experienced—tempering and refining soul power, strengthening the foundation. Even without input of soul power, it works subtly over time. For ordinary soul masters, it's an unparalleled treasure. For one with an ultimate martial soul like you, though, it's both a blessing and a curse."
The Iceworm spoke excitedly.
"Zihuang, if you keep using it, your cultivation speed might slow by at least one-third."
Its tone then shifted back to lewdness.
"Looks like that woman really has her eyes on you, probably wants you as her son-in-law. Otherwise she wouldn't give you such a treasure. Seriously, what do you think? Consider it carefully. Between men and women—it's a wonderful thing."
"Oh? You talk like you've tried it." Xu Zihuang smiled faintly as he stowed the jade away.
Since he was beginning to accept the Skydream Iceworm, he occasionally joked back.
That nearly made the Iceworm lose its composure.
"Of course—er, well, of course not." It mumbled, long used to being outmatched by Xu Zihuang.
"Enough, Tianmeng. We're entering the Sunset Forest. Don't mess around, or you'll drag me down." Xu Zihuang refocused, reminding it. His body accelerated toward the depths of the forest.
"Relax. Leave it to me. Just charge ahead, and if there's danger I'll alert you right away." The Iceworm bragged.
At dawn, the coldest time of day, Xu Zihuang stepped into the Sunset Forest. The temperature dropped sharply.
From what he observed entering from this direction, the forest's soul beast population seemed already fragmented.
As he went deeper, Xu Zihuang released his Golden Eye martial soul without showing his rings—just as he had in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Danger could appear at any time. His vigilance increased.
After about an hour's travel—
"Sha, sha, sha—" The sound of leaves brushing echoed ahead.
Without waiting for warning, a dark-red crystalline spear formed in Xu Zihuang's right hand. He hurled it fiercely. The three-meter weapon pierced a giant snake covered in violet scales, pinning it to the ground.
Scales flew, its huge body writhing violently, shrieking shrilly—harsh and chilling in the silent forest.
"Zihuang, wait." The Skydream's voice rose in his mind again.
"Look ahead. Isn't the light weaker in that area?"
"Hm?" Xu Zihuang injected soul power into his Golden Eyes and looked forward.
"Indeed."
It was still morning, and the sun wasn't hidden by clouds. The only reason light dimmed between adjacent areas was the air itself.
"Seems we're nearing the region shrouded in miasma."
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